After 82 regular-season games that are basically rendered meaningless by an inequitable postseason format, the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is set. There are familiar rivals. There are intriguing matchups. There are ... well, a lot of games.
So as a service to you, ESPN offers this Hype Ranking for the NHL postseason, using a complicated algorithm that measures several facets of a series: star power, secondary plotlines, the hate factor, the controversy quotient (for potential violent acts or heinous actions), the arena atmosphere, the probability of a Game 7 and, last but not least, the "Beard-o-sity" of a series, in which the face shrubbery of players is weighed as heavily as the fame of that series' players.